New director hopes to expand Hooksett Chamber

HOOKSETT — Christina Zlotnick, a veteran meteorologist, broadcaster and non-profit board member, has been hired to be the first paid executive director of the Hooksett Chamber of Commerce.

Started in 2010 and with close to 40 members, the chamber’s board of directors decided a full-time employee was needed to help the chamber grow.

“We hired her because we had an all volunteer board, and we are starting to grow and members are looking for more from the chamber, and we want to provide that with a paid employee who can dedicate more time,” Board President Dan Bouchard said.

Bouchard said he expects to see tangible growth in chamber membership and an increase in networking events under the leadership of Zlotnick.

“Zlotnick is awesome. She has done a great job so far and we are ecstatic as a board. She is just doing a great job, putting her boots on the ground and starting off running. We are very pleased,” he said.

Zlotnick said that while taking the job as executive director is a career change for her, she said it is something she is ready for.

“I want to step up my career and I like the small town community and feel of Hooksett. I am confident that I can build the chamber up and in turn make the community a better place. Certainly Hooksett has potential,” Zlotnick said.

Zlotnick, who has been in her role as executive director for six weeks, said that she has already started to build a database of existing members while at the same time calling previous members to see if they are interested in rejoining.

“We want to add new members each month, and we don’t want to lose members. In the past at events, there was not a lot of participation. That was a red flag that the board saw that and I think it convinced them that they needed something more in terms of my position to turn that around,” Zlotnick said.

As executive director, she said that along with networking and building relationships, a big part of her job is event planning.

“We want larger events to get attention and raise money. Up our profile. We haven’t done that very much so far, and I have seen other organizations do it and grow exponentially because it,” she said.

Zlotnick, an Air Force-trained meteorologist, has also served on the board of directors of the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity and the Amherst Junior Women’s Club. She lives in Amherst with her husband and two children.